Question Corner

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Sep 8, 1909

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 35.

[To Our Inquirers.—(1) The name and address of all who ask questions must accompany questions, not necessarily for publication, in token of good faith, and that we may reply by letter if thought best. All communications will be considered confidential if so desired, and no name will be published unless requested. But we have no time to give to anonymous or unsigned epistles or articles. (2) Let the questions be to the point. Do not say, “Explain Josh. 7:1-8,” but state the thing upon which help is desired. (3) Questions can not be answered immediately in this department. Sometimes it will mean a month or more of waiting. We can not reply to the same question frequently. Read answers to other questions; you may find reply to yours. (4) Members of the Bible Band will kindly enclose stamp if answer is desired by letter. Others will please enclose ten cents. This does not begin to meet expenses oftentimes. (5) “Foolish . . . questions avoid.”]

2928.—What of Seventh-day Adventists?

You speak of the favorable starting out of other churches and their forming of creeds. What assurance have we that the church of Seventh-day Adventists will not follow in the way of all her predecessors; be satisfied with what she has, grow cold and formal, make a creed, seek worldly and civil aid, and so form one more unit or faction in the world's Babel of creeds? W. N.

It is a fair question, and we not only admit that there is danger; we declare it. Yet there are these things in the organization of the above-named church, and in her belief, which would logically preserve her from the course suggested above.

First, that church holds to the Bible, the whole Bible, as the word of God.

Secondly, she has always stood strongly against the formation of human creeds, believing that finite man can not express in finite language the infinite, expansive truth of the Most High.

Thirdly, the faithful, strong stand against the union of church and state which she has ever maintained would be strongly against such a course.

Fourthly, her views of the Bible, of the more sure word of prophecy, of ever clearer light, of the teaching of the Spirit, would all clearly combine to prevent so dire a calamity.

Yet there is danger of her children's saying: “We have the whole truth. The Lord has led us thus far, and our way has been confirmed, our paths established; wo to him who would seek to teach new light.” There is that danger always to the individual and to the church. Let spirituality sink low, let religious devotion and earnest study of the Bible wane, and there is ever danger. When that time comes that an individual writes “Ne plus ultra”—no more beyond—upon his belief, as Spain inscribed it on her coins, he makes no more progress, but retrogrades, and is not prepared to grasp constantly increasing light which once lay beyond his limited vision. When that time comes that the soul writes upon his views of God's truth, “Finality,” he has reached the end of all advancement, and becomes critical, repressive, and intolerant of views which are beyond his, and yet which may be in perfect harmony with his. That condition spells stagnation, defeat, death; even tho the stagnation be honored as wisdom, and the death deified.

All this is equally true of a church or religious body. When the church reaches that place where she writes upon her generally accepted belief, “No more beyond,” no declaration of the past can prevent her forming a creed written by human hands, devised by human brains. Then when that creed is formed, why should it not be supported, defended, aided by “proper” civil legislation? Such is the logical course of backsliding.

Therefore, the only safety of Seventh-day Adventists, individually or as a church, lies in constant, developing, unselfish consecration to God and in keeping open-eyed to every ray of light from His word, open-hearted to every development of truth from His throne, however humbling to pride, or however much sacrifice that truth may demand. Elaborate methods, vast machinery, great institutions, past experience, will not, can not, save. Only steadfast consecration, walking in the light, love of the truth, can save the individual soul, can save the church of God from Babylon, confusion, death. Through all that we believe God will lead the people named above to glorious victory.

2929.—Wilful Sin.

What is a wilful sin? See Heb. 10:26. When the still, small voice speaks to one who is walking in the light, and says to him in time of temptation, “Do not do that now, wait awhile, for it will be a hindrance or a detriment to your spiritual understanding,” nevertheless that one yields to the overpowering influence of the wicked one simply for the sake of gratifying baser passions of the mind, and commits the sin regardless of consequences; and this is followed by a troubled conscience, not because of the act itself, but because of not having a greater regard for the impulse of the Holy Spirit, is there hope for such an one, or has the poor mortal committed the unpardonable sin—sold his birthright? A BROTHER.

As to whether it is a wilful sin or not depends. The sin mentioned in Heb. 10:26 is a grievous, God-defying sin. It means not only that, but continuance in sin. Compare the passage in Heb. 6:4-8. The ground blessed of God that continues to produce thorns and thistles is at last rejected utterly. So the heart that continually shuts God out and continually yields to the influences of the flesh, sooner or later yields all. From the illustration used in the 28th verse of the text under consideration, it would seem that the wilful sin is one that wilfully sets at naught God's commandments. The men that set at naught Moses' law died without compassion. Of how much sorer punishment should he be worthy who had trodden underfoot the Son of God, and had counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and had done despite unto the Spirit of grace. That is, the Son of God is counted not more than common things; the blood of the covenant no more than common blood; and the Spirit of grace no more than an impulse. One who does this, by the very act of doing it, puts himself in that place where he is unable to discern the Spirit of God; unable to hear God's voice speaking to him.

The danger to the sinner is not that he will come to that place where God will not forgive, but that he will come to that place where there can be no sincere repentance. The very fact that there is true sorrow for sin is always an evidence that one has not passed beyond the limits of God's grace; that there is hope for him. Hope vanishes when the sinner reaches that place where he has no true sorrow for sin. He may be sorry because of the effects of sin; he may be sorry that he is found out, but he whose case is hopeless never has a truly grieved heart because he has sinned against God who is so good, so kind, so merciful. Sometimes when one has sinned grievously, he is uncertain as to his condition for some time; he does not know whether his sorrow is real or not; whether his repentance is sincere or otherwise. God permits this in order that the soul may be thoroly tested. The only way for that one to do is still to trust God; take Him at His word. Read Isa. 50:10: “Let him trust in the name of Jehovah and rely upon His God.”

The unpardonable sin is the unrepentable sin. There is no limit to the infinite mercy of God. That does not mean that it is not dangerous to yield to sin. The danger is even greater than it would otherwise be. The human heart so easily gets accustomed to doing what is wrong that unconsciously it becomes hardened against the appeals of the Spirit of God. Therefore, let this troubled soul say, “I will still have faith in God, I will learn the cause of my defeat, and I will yield myself anew to God, being more careful, more watchful, more zealous lest my feet slip.”

2930.—Call No Man “Father.”

Please harmonize 2 Kings 2:12 and Matt. 23:9. W. F.

2 Kings 2:12 records the words of Elisha when he saw the ascension of Elijah: “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof!” Matt. 23:9 are the words of Jesus: “Call no man your father on the earth: for One is your Father, even He who is in heaven.” The first passage does not say that Elisha called Elijah “father.” It may have been his address to his Father in heaven, not to Elijah. Even tho it was Elijah, he counted Elijah his father in the sense of instructor or leader of the family of the prophets. Our Lord uses the term in the sense of a spiritual father; that is, one by whom we are brought into a state of salvation. Our Lord would have us recognize that our salvation comes from God, and God alone. The words are not that we should not call our own father, “father.” That is perfectly proper so far as earthly relationship is concerned, but we should elevate no man to that position which makes him our gateway to the kingdom of God. Granting that the texts refer to the same use of the term, they are not contradictory, because the former text records only what a mortal man said; while the latter is the injunction of the Master of Life. So looking upon it in any way, there is no contradiction between the two scriptures.

2931.—The Two Witnesses. Rev. 11:1-11.

What are we to understand by the prophecy given in Revelation 11, beginning with the first verse of the chapter and running down to verse 11? Is it a future event, or is it in the past? W. T.

The prophecy is too large to explain in this department. The first verse merely has to do with the prophecy going before, and pertains to the last message which God gives to the world. “Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein,” takes in the whole great system of God's truth which He is revealing to the world. The two witnesses carry us back to a period of time mentioned in Dan. 7:25, and chapter 12, and in Revelation 12 and 13, the 1260 days representing so many literal years.

The Two Witnesses are the Old and the New Testament, the one predicting beforehand what would occur, and the other noting the fulfilment in the lives of Christ and of His church. The 1260 days refer to the days of papal persecution, during which time not only were God's people oppressed, but His Scriptures were suppressed. For a full exposition of this prophecy, see “Daniel and the Revelation” by Uriah Smith, or “The Great Controversy” by Mrs. E. G. White.